Atomizing apparatus



Dec. 30, 1952 c. GUSTAFSON 2,623,783

ATOMIZING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 21, 1946 Patented Dec. 30, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ATOMIZING APPARATUS Carl Gustafson, Lunenburg, Mass. Application February 21, 1946, Serial No. 649,138

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to atomizing or spray nozzle apparatus, and more particularly to such apparatus of the type which is especially suitable for providing a humidifying mixture of nely divided water and air.

It is the main object of the present invention to provide nozzle apparatus of the above type which divides a liquid such as water into very fine particles intermixed with another fluid such as air. while regulating its discharge in conformity with the pressure of the liquid supplied thereto. and keeping itself open by continuously automatic action, thereby remaining in operation in spite of accidentally entering dirt and other impurities which in other types of such apparatus often impair proper and continuous operation.

Other objects of the invention are to provide spray nozzle or humidifying apparatus of the above mentioned type which is simple and inexpensive in manufacture and yet very rugged and reliable; to provide such apparatus which can be easily dissembled and reassembled for the purpose of cleaning or for exchanging control elements which permit adjustment of its operation; and to provide spray nozzle humidifying apparatus which is adaptable to different types of operation, always providing certain and reliable automatically regulated performance.

In one of the aspects of the invention, a spray nozzle is provided with a cleaning needle extending into the nozzle opening but being considerably smaller, thus permitting fluid ow therearound, and pressure responsive means which move the needle within its nozzle with slightly changing fluid pressure, thus providing an automatic cleaning operation.

In another aspect, the invention contemplates a combination of valve and adjustable port arrangement with the above mentioned cleaning needle, the valve means tending to keep the nozzle closed when the iiuid to be passed through and atomized by the nozzle has a pressure below a certain value, whereas the valve opens and the port is regulated according to pressure variation, at the same time imparting a cleaning motion to the needle, when the pressure rises above a certain value.

In still another aspect, the invention provides a humidifying device which combines two nozzles for two uids, one of which may be liquid and the other gaseous, these nozzles being so correlated that the two fluids, both applied under pressure, intermingle and form an especially ine spray which is propelled a considerable distance beyond the nozzle.

A further feature of apparatus according to the invention is the provision of valve means which check the fluid supply while the pressure is below a given value, and of other valve means which regulate the liuid discharge dependent upon the fluid pressure.

In an additional aspect of the invention, a single control body having two valve elements constituting a regulating channel, and a cleaning needle, provides operation within a predeter mined pressure range, regulation according to pressure change, and cleaning action.

In yet another aspect of the invention, one of the valve elements is a separate check valve, and a tortuous path which may be used for iltering is introduced while the control body provides mainly continuous ow regulation and nozzle cleaning action.

These and other objects, aspects and features will appear from the following description of two typical practical embodiments illustrating the novel characteristics of the invention. This description refers to a drawing in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of one embodiment of my invention;

' Fig. 2 is a section on line 2 2 of Fig. l showing the valve portion;

Fig. 3 is a section, similar to that shown in Fig. 2, through another embodiment of the invention, this section showing the device during operation;

Fig. 4 is a section on line i-l of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section, similar to Fig. 3, but showing the regulating valve in closed position.

In Figs. 1 and 2, numeral II denotes the main body of the spray apparatus according to this embodiment of the invention. This body has a central conduit portion I2 which is threaded at I4 and is at the other end twice stepped down to form shoulders at I5 and IS, a valve seat I'I being formed at the shoulder I5I6, and bore I6 being open and surrounded by a threaded portion I8 for connection to a suitable supply of pressure iiuid.

Screwed into threaded portion I4 of the central conduit is the nozzle body 2| having a blunt front end 22, a discharge bore 23, a valve seat portion 24, and a guide bore portion 25.

Slidably inserted in conduit I2 is a control body 3| which has a regulating valve cone portion 32, a guide shoulder 33 with passage grooves 34, and a safety valve cone 36. Fastened to the safety valve end of the control member 3l is a pin 39 which reaches into nozzle opening 23 but is considerably smaller so as to permit iiow of fluid through the nozzle. A spring 3l, inserted between nozzle body 2l and shoulder 33, tends to close valve ll-32- The pin end of control body 3l nts the portion 25 of nozzle body 2l and has a groove or channel 33. The control body is guided within the conduit portion by shoulder 33 and by its front end within bore 25.

A nozzle cap il is at 122 screwed to the main body Il and forms a second, annular, nozzle 43 which surrounds, and is flush with the outside face 22 of nozzle 2l. The nozzle cap 4l is conically recessed as shown at 45, in order suitably to direct the spray flowing from the nozzle. Cap 4l, body l l and nozzle 2l form a chamber 55.

The main body Il is further provided with a threaded flange portion 5I, surrounding an inlet passage 52 which leads through a bore 53 into the chamber 55 which is formed by nozzle cap 4l, nozzle 2l and main body l I.

The device according to Figs. l and `2 operates as follovvs:

Assuming that it is desired to .provide a humidifying water spray with the aid of compressed air, the air supply is connected to inlet-52 and iirst turned on; the compressed air leaves nozzle outlet Ml with a spiral motion or turbo effect which is very effective 'in vfurther breaking-up the water emerging Ain a spray from nozzle '23.

The water supply, connected to inlet I'S, 'is 'then turned on. The water pressure forces valve l1-32 to open and `passes through portion i5, through recesses 3d and'past spring 31 and groove SS and further past needle 3Q into nozzle 23, from which it emerges as a very line spray, the needle promoting the breaking up of the jet.

The spring 3l opposes thepressure of the water entering at I6, and by appropriate movement depending upon the pressure variations, regulates the amount of Water which `enters the nozzle through channeled if the Water pressureshoul'd become too high, valve 2&-36 closes, leaving only a very small amount to flow through channe;l de. Due to the continuously prevailing changes in Water pressure, valve body 3l will continuously move back and forth to a slight extent'at -'least, moving pin 39 within nozzle opening 23 .and keeping it `free `from 'impurities Vor obstacles. When the pressure water supply is out ofi" 'or the supply pressure falls below a given value, spring Si 4again forces valve cone 32 against seat il and'the'device i closes automatically. p

It will thus be noted that the nozzle according to the invention operates with self cleaning and regulating action Within the fairly narrowlydefined limits of 'a'range of fluid'pressure. Y

The embodiment according to Figs. 3 to vv5 'is in its general outline 'similar to that shown YirrFigs l and 2, above described. The main body, 'however, is divided into two portions tl and 62, which are at 63 joined by means of a thread'and asealing gasket Se.

rhe Vpressure water inlet i6, t8 is in this -instance provided with a check valve comprising a valve body 53, a check valve @d anda valve Aspring 55, the `valve body 6d fitting valve seat Sefof housing Aportion vf'l rIhe front body portion 52 carriesa nozzleibody 2l which is quite similar'to that described `above with reference to Fig. '2. Screwed into iront body portion -62 is further a control housing li vwhich has a uniformly cylindrical bore and is .pierced by a fluid-admission port le connecting to 'chamber 65 formed by housing e E-f Within control housing il slides a'control body i5 which has 'a guide'shoulder'i, and aguide and 'valve shoulder fill sition,

71, which is provided with grooves 13. A spring 30 urges the control body 'l5 toward the nozzle body 2l, with valve face 8i resting against valve seat 82, as shown in Fig. 5, when the apparatus is in inoperative position. The nozzle is then practically closed by valve 3l- 82 with a small amount of Water escaping around the valve seat, and port 13 considerably narrowed by valve shoulder 1B. In this condi-tion, check valvet-ii is likewise closed. I I

Discharge bore 23 and air outlet or nozzle d3 are similar to those described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2.

The spray device according to Figs. 3 to 5 operates as follows:

Again, the compressed air is first admitted through inlet 52, emerging through annular nozzle 43.

The pressure fluid, such as Water, is then admitted through inlet le, and lifts valve 54. The 'uidproceeds through chamber "59 Whichmay be llled with filter material, changes its direction of flow and enters through port 'i3 into control housing "il, Passage at 23 being'practically inhibited, the fluid pressure compresses spring and widens the supply area at T13, alsofli'fting valve face 8i from seat t2. The pressure 'fluidemerges through .nozzle opening 23, and together'withthe compressed air entering through 52, "53 and :55, forms a vfine spray, directed and distributed by conical recess 35. The 'supply port area at 'i3 changes proportionate tothe varying waterjpressure, 'thus ascertaining and securing 'a .fairly steady supply oflpr-essureuid. With 'slight variations of the pressure, the control body'l moves back and forth with pin ed moving Within nozzle opening 23, keeping it clean from nuid'fl'ow obstructing impurities. vThis cleaning action is effeetive evenwhen a pieceo'f dirt 'lodges 'between the pin and the water 'outlet Wall, Ythe pressure building up behind the obstacle forcing the control .pin backward, whereby the obstacle is 'dislodged'and blown out by 'thefpressurefluid After `performing this cleaning action, 'the 'pin 'moves b ackinto .normal position.

It should'be understood that 4thepresent disclosure is forthe vpurpose of illustration only .and that this invention includes all modicatiens Vand equivalents which fall within the scope Yof lthe appended. claims.

l. Spray vapparatus comprising va body enclosing a chamber, a liquid inlet port -for admitting liquid to the chamber-at a predetermined average pressure, a liquid outlet nozzle for emitting liquid from vsaid chamber, --a gas outlet adjacent said vnozzle `for forming a spray mixture with vsaid liquid vat said average pressure, a gas inlet leading to the outlet, -a control member slidable in the chamber between advanced and retracted positions along the 4line `of `liquid flow between said port and nozzle, said control member being responsive to said liquid :pressure at the inlet port to move toward radvanced poresilient means yieldingly urging Vthe member toward retracted position, said resilient means being biased to hold saidimem'be'rintermediate said positions against said 'average pressure, a cleaning member at `the forward end of the control member 'movable with )the icontrol member within lthe nozzle, the lodging of particles in the nozzle adjacent the cleaning member causing obstruction of flow and back pressure against average pressure thereby to move the control member from `saidintermember are automatically actuated' during spray j forming operation to clean the nozzle, thereby to restore the proportion of liquid in said mixture.

2. Spray apparatus comprising a body enclosing a chamber, a liquid inlet port for admitting liquid to the chamber at a predetermined average pressure, a liquid outlet nozzle for emitting liquid from said chamber, a gas outlet adjacent said nozzle for forming a spray mixture with said liquid at said average pressure, a gas inlet leading to the outlet, a control member slidable between advanced and retracted positions along the line of iiow between said port and nozzle, said control `-member being responsive to said liquid pressure to move toward advanced position, resilient means yieldingly urging the member toward retracted position, said resilient means being biased to hold said member intermediate said positions against said average pressure, a cleaning member at the forward end of the control member movable with the control member within the nozzle, the lodging of particles in the nozzle adjacent the cleaning member causing obstruction of ilow and back pressure against said average pressure thereby to move the control member from said intermediate position and dislodge the particles, whereby each time an obstruction is lodged in said nozzle said control member and cleaning member are automatically operated to clean the nozzle, thereby to restore the proportion of liquid in said mixture, avalve portion at one end of the control membergand a valve seat between said chamber and nozzle forming valve means closed when the control member is in advanced position, whereby excess pressure on said control member closes saidvalve means to prevent an excess of liquid in said mixture.

3. Spray apparatus comprising a body enclosing a chamber, a liquid inlet port for admitting liquid to the chamber at a predetermined average pressure, a liquid outlet nozzle for emitting liquid from said chamber, a gas outlet adjacent said nozzle for forming a spray mixture with said liquid at said average pressure, a gas inlet leading to the outlet, a piston slidable in the chamber between forward and rear positions along the line of iiow between said port and nozzle, said piston having a face responsive to said liquid pressure to move the piston toward forward position, resilient means yieldingly urging the member toward rear position, said resilient means being biased to hold said member intermediate said positions against average pressure, a exible cleaning pin at the forward end of the piston movable with the piston within the nozzle, vthe lodging ofr particles in the nozzle adjacent the pin causing obstruction of flow and back pressure against said average pressure thereby to move the piston from said intermediate position and dislodge the particles, whereby each time an obstruction is lodged in said nozzle said piston and pin are automatically operated to clean the nozzle, thereby to restore the proportion of liquid in said mixture.

CARL GUSTAFSON.

REFERENCES CITED i The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 651,313 Lowe June 5, 1900 1,959,240 Josky May 15, 1934 2,093,444 Hubbard Sept. 21, 1937 2,173,072 Loepsinger Sept. l2, 1939 2,186,214 `Simon Jan. 9, 1940 2,362,102 Simon Nov. 7, 1944 2,384,679 Holtzclaw Sept. 11, 1945 2,479,895 Bahnson Aug. 23, 1940 

